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BMW Headquarters
A lil' History...
After World War I, BMW were forced to cease aircraft (engine) production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.[sup][2][/sup] The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923 once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted,[sup][3][/sup] followed by automobiles in1928.[sup][citationneeded][/sup]
The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel is often alleged to portray the movement of an airplane propeller, to signify the white blades cuttingthrough the blue sky - an interpretation that BMW adopted for convenience in 1929, which was actually twelve years after the roundel was created.[sup][4][/sup][sup][5][/sup] In fact, the emblem evolved from thecircular Rapp Motorenwerke company logo, from which the BMW companygrew. The Rapp logo was combined with the blue and white colors of the flag of Bavaria toproduce the BMW roundel so familiar today.
BMW's first significant aircraft was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance.[sup][citation needed][/sup] With German rearmament in the1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. Among itssuccessful WWII engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny, 1944-45-era jet-powered "emergency fighter", theHeinkel He 162 Salamander, and was tested in the A-1b version of theworld's first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me262.[sup][citationneeded][/sup]
By 1959 the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find away of carrying on. It was decided to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some of Germany'sex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. Therefore the rights to manufacture the tiny Italian Iso Isetta were bought using a modified form ofBMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the company get back on its feet. The dominating shareholder of the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of thestock. The rest is in public float.
BMW AG bought the British Rover Group[sup][6][/sup] (which at the time consisted of theRover, Land Rover and MG brandsas well as the rights to defunct brands including Austin andMorris) in 1994 and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover wasmaking huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new MINI, which was launched in 2001.
Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW after serving on the design team for nearly seventeen years. He will be replacedby Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's former right hand man. Bangle was famously (or infamously) known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7-Series and the2002 Z4
Entwicklung-Codes
1-Series
3-Series
5-series
6-Series
7-Series
Z4
X3
X5
X6
....."Encore!!!"...."Encore!!!"
A lil' History...
After World War I, BMW were forced to cease aircraft (engine) production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.[sup][2][/sup] The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923 once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted,[sup][3][/sup] followed by automobiles in1928.[sup][citationneeded][/sup]
The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel is often alleged to portray the movement of an airplane propeller, to signify the white blades cuttingthrough the blue sky - an interpretation that BMW adopted for convenience in 1929, which was actually twelve years after the roundel was created.[sup][4][/sup][sup][5][/sup] In fact, the emblem evolved from thecircular Rapp Motorenwerke company logo, from which the BMW companygrew. The Rapp logo was combined with the blue and white colors of the flag of Bavaria toproduce the BMW roundel so familiar today.
BMW's first significant aircraft was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance.[sup][citation needed][/sup] With German rearmament in the1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. Among itssuccessful WWII engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny, 1944-45-era jet-powered "emergency fighter", theHeinkel He 162 Salamander, and was tested in the A-1b version of theworld's first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me262.[sup][citationneeded][/sup]
By 1959 the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find away of carrying on. It was decided to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some of Germany'sex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. Therefore the rights to manufacture the tiny Italian Iso Isetta were bought using a modified form ofBMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the company get back on its feet. The dominating shareholder of the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of thestock. The rest is in public float.
BMW AG bought the British Rover Group[sup][6][/sup] (which at the time consisted of theRover, Land Rover and MG brandsas well as the rights to defunct brands including Austin andMorris) in 1994 and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover wasmaking huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new MINI, which was launched in 2001.
Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW after serving on the design team for nearly seventeen years. He will be replacedby Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's former right hand man. Bangle was famously (or infamously) known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7-Series and the2002 Z4
Entwicklung-Codes
-
BMW E9 - (1969-1975) 2800CS, 3.0CS, 3.0CSL "New Six" Coupés -
BMW E12 - (1974-1981) 5 Series -
BMW E21 - (1976-1983) 3 Series -
BMW E23 - (1977-1986) 7 Series -
BMW E24 - (1976-1989) 6 Series -
BMW E26 - (1978-1981) M1 -
BMW E28 - (1981-1987) 5 Series -
BMW E30 - (1984-1991) 3 Series (1982-1983 E30 sold in Europe) -
BMW E31 - (1989-1997) 8 Series -
BMW E32 - (1986-1994) 7 Series -
BMW E34 - (1988-1995) 5 Series -
BMW E36 - (1992-1999) 3 Series -
BMW E36/5 - (1995-199
3 Series Compact (US market known as "318ti") -
BMW E36/7 - (1996-2002) Z3 Series Roadster -
BMW E36/8 - (1998-2002) Z3 Series Coupé -
BMW E38 - (1994-2001) 7 Series -
BMW E38/2 - (1994-2001) 7 Series long wheelbase -
BMW E38/3 - (1998-2001) 7 Series Protection -
BMW E39 - (1995-2003) 5 Series -
BMW E46/5 - (2000-2004) 3 Series Compact -
BMW E46/4 - (1998-2005) 3 Series Sedan -
BMW E46/3 - (1999-2005) 3 Series Touring/Sports Wagon -
BMW E46/2 - (1999-2006) 3 Series Coupé -
BMW E46/C - (1999-2006) 3 Series Convertible -
BMW E52 - (2000-2003) Z8 -
BMW E53 - (2000-2006) X5 -
BMW E60 - (2004-present) 5 Series -
BMW E61 - (2004-2007) 5 Series Touring/Sports Wagon -
BMW E63 - (2004-present) 6 Series Coupé -
BMW E64 - (2004-present) 6 Series convertible -
BMW E65 - (2001-2007) 7 Series short wheelbase -
BMW E66 - (2001-2007) 7 Series long wheelbase -
BMW E67 - (2001-2007) 7 Series Protection -
BMW E68 - (2005-2007) Hydrogen 7 -
BMW E70 - (2007-present) X5 -
BMW E71 - (200 X6 -
BMW E81 - (2007-present) 1 Series (3-door) -
BMW E82 - (2007-present) 1 Series Coupé -
BMW E83 - (2004-present) X3 -
BMW E85 - (2003-present) Z4 -
BMW E86 - (2006-present) Z4 Coupé -
BMW E87 - (2004-present) 1 Series (5-door) -
BMW E88 - (200 1 Series Convertible -
BMW E89 - (2009) Z4 -
BMW E90 - (2005-present) 3 Series -
BMW E91 - (2005-present) 3 Series Touring/Sports Wagon -
BMW E92 - (2007-present) 3 Series Coupé -
BMW E93 - (2007-present) 3 Series Convertible -
BMW F01 - (200 7 Series - BMW F02 - (2009) 7 Series long wheelbase
1-Series
3-Series
5-series
6-Series
7-Series
Z4
X3
X5
X6
